


my heart is buried in Venice

by VITRI0L



Series: the branches of time are withering [1]
Category: DreamSMP, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: /roleplay, Angst, Broken Families, Gen, Ghostbur, Hurt, Little comfort, Pain, Suicide, Tommyinnit needs a hug, Wilbur’s trying, based off tommy’s stream today, ghostinnit, im sorry, just sad, no beta we die like ghostbur, no thoughts, tommy being exiled broke my heart and now i have to break yours, tommy dies, tommy is exiled
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:26:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27904438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VITRI0L/pseuds/VITRI0L
Summary: Tommy doesn’t take exile very well, considering he’s, well, Tommy. Wilbur is trying his best, but it’s never enough.//TW: Suicide\\*spoilers for Tommy’s December 5th stream*
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: the branches of time are withering [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2120232
Comments: 132
Kudos: 1743





	my heart is buried in Venice

**Author's Note:**

> season two is giving me so many ideas and they’re all just as depressing as the next.

Tommy wants to see the Christmas tree. It’s just the beginning of December, but apparently, his friends have already begun decorating.

Dream tells him no. 

Tommy frowns and Wilbur volunteers to take a polaroid for him. The ghost isn’t exiled like Tommy is.

Tommy doesn’t even know what a polaroid _is_.

Dream and Sapnap follow Wil into the portal, leaving the exiled teen standing alone in the blackstone hub. 

Tommy is overcome by loneliness just then. He knew he shouldn’t have come here, not after Dream told him he’d give the teen his final canon death if he went through the portal. Not after Sapnap taunted him by disappearing into the purple depths.

Alone, he turns to look down at the lava below the blackstone path. It’s a far way down, he finds himself noticing. 

The lava shimmers red and orange, almost like it too is taunting the teen. At the same time, the lava is inviting and beautifully so. 

Tommy wants the lava to consume him. To invite him into its depths and hide him from everyone else. Everyone else doesn’t care, no, not about him. Tommy wants the lava to burn him, to make him feel and to etch pain into his very soul, as proof that he’s _lived._

He wants it.

But a steady hand on his shoulder stops him from taking what he wants.

“It’s not your time to die,” Dream whispers softly.

If Tommy didn’t know any better, he would have thought the man sounded kind.

“It’s never my time to die,” the teen whispers back.

The lava stops calling to him.

•••

“Fellas, how do you know when it’s too much?” Tommy asks.

Dream, Sapnap and Wilbur are on call, but there is no answer from his communicator.

Tommy frowns, heart aching as he stands in his newly made tent. He doesn’t know when it’s too much, but why won’t anyone tell him? When does the pain finally stop and how is he supposed to know when it’s all _just too much..._

He doesn’t hear the way Wilbur’s breath catches through the comm.

•••

“Here you go, Tommy,” Wilbur says sweetly, handing the teen a small picture.

It’s the polaroid of the Christmas tree. It looks giant, colorful ordiments adorning the evergreen tree. There is a golden star on the top the sparkles gently in the sunlight and Sapnap is standing next to the star, smiling wide.

Homesickness makes tears well in his blue eyes. Maybe Wilbur notices because he shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“Can I go see it?” Tommy whispers gently, not trusting his voice not to break if he spoke any louder.

“No,” Dream says from beside him, watching him beneath that smiley mask.

“Dream, maybe you should just let him,” Wilbur pipes up carefully, “The tree’s not even in L’Manburg, so maybe he could just go see it...”

“Yeah, well it is in the lands of the SMP,” the man in the green hoodie says as he goes through Tommy’s tent.

Sapnap frowns at his best friend.

•••

Wilbur makes a collection of photos in the cobble and blue clay house that he made. He spends hours, either when Tommy is sleeping, exploring the Nether or mining, going back and forth between Logstedshire and L’Manburg.

He takes polaroid after polaroid, collecting many in a leather backpack that he made specifically for this task. The ghost hangs each one carefully in an item frame and places it on the blank, blue wall.

Wilbur wants to capture L’Manburg in all its wonderful glory. He wants Tommy to be able to go back to the city, so he does the next best thing.

He brings the city to Tommy.

•••

“I hate you,” Tommy says loudly for the thousandth time.

Dream just laughs.

“No, you don’t hate me,” the older man tells him nicely.

Tommy doesn’t understand how he can possible believe that.

_I hate you with every fiber of my being. And I will never forgive you for the things you done._

Tommy doesn’t press the conversation any further.

•••

The exiled boy sees the picture wall in Wilbur’s main house and breaks down. 

None of the pictures have anybody in them, expect for one with Ranboo, standing in the market square and giving the camera a shy wave. But, it’s not what the picture have, it’s what they don’t have.

Tears fall aggressively from his tired eyes and loneliness burns through his weary chest. Tommy slides to his knees, wood floor digging painful into his joints and lets out a broken hearted scream.

All he wants is to be able to go and visit his friends.

He wants to see his family.

He just doesn’t want to be alone.

Wilbur feels a few tears slide down his transparent face as he stands on the other side of the door.

•••

Bad is the only one, besides Dream and Sapnap, who visits Tommy.

He places down a chest with wood and important things in it. Though he complains about it being “pity shit”, Tommy’s internally grateful.

Bad gives him a disc called Chirp. Tommy crafts a jukebox using one of the two diamonds that Bad gifted him and places the vinyl into the jukebox.

The music floats beautifully through the air. Tommy stares at the wooden jukebox, almost like he could see the notes of music dancing right in front of him.

The song sounds like how Tommy thinks the universe looks. It makes him think about galaxies, the night sky and the burning sun. 

It makes him think about the solar system, the blue morning sky, and beautifully pale moon.

“This song makes me think about a cosmic... woman,” Tommy says, half to himself, “Like a female astronaut.”

Bad doesn’t get it, but the teen doesn’t care. He smiles softly, faintly disappointed when the record finally ends.

He takes the smooth vinyl out, relishing the smooth feeling in his palm. If he wanted, Tommy could imagine it was one of his discs. 

He hides it when Dream shows up and discreetly hands the disc back to Bad, whispering for his new friend to run and keep it safe.

For the rest day, Tommy thinks of space and a female astronaut that he would meet in the inky blackness of the universe. 

He wants to meet her.

•••

“I exiled you because you’re the only person who never listens to me,” Dream tells him one day.

Tommy narrows his eyes as they dance over his masked enemy in a green hoodie. 

He doesn’t care.

Not anymore.

•••

With a bunch of convincing from Wilbur and Sapnap, Dream decides that Tommy could be allowed into the SMP and L’Manburg for Christmas Day.

Wilbur finds Tommy sitting in his tent (tnrent) looking at the picture of the Christmas tree that he has above his bed.

“Hey, Toms, guess what?” the ghost says excitedly.

His younger brother looks up at him with those navy blue eyes. Wilbur hates how much those eyes have dulled since Tommy’s exile, it made him sad and no amount of blue would help.

“What’s up, Wil?” he asked quietly.

“You’re allowed into the SMP and L’Manburg on Christmas!”

Tommy doesn’t look as excited as Wilbur thought he would. In fact, he doesn’t look excited at all. Wilbur misses the spark that used to shine behind his baby brother’s eyes, he just wants to bring it back.

“That’s great, Wilbur,” Tommy says, turning his attention back to the polaroid.

Wilbur says nothing more, leaving the teen to his thoughts.

He wants to make Tommy happy.

He just doesn’t know how.

•••

Wilbur wishes he could touch Tommy when he wakes up in the middle of the night, screaming.

“Hey, Toms, I’m right here. I’m right here, bubba, you don’t have to cry. Shh, sweetheart, you’re going to be ok,” the ghost whispers as he hovers by Tommy’s bedside.

The pet names are a form of affection, the only thing that Wilbur can give him right now. So, he lets them slip into the dark, cold room, trying his best to fix what was wrong.

“It’s ok now. Toms, I love you,” Wilbur whispers gently.

There is mistrust in those eyes and it isn’t dark enough for Wilbur to miss the look. It breaks his heart, and the ghost wants to dash all those dark thoughts from his brother’s haunted mind.

Despite the distrust, Wilbur hears,

“I love you too, Wilby.”

Wilbur stays awake until Tommy falls back asleep, pain and loss swimming through his transparent body.

•••

Wilbur stands under the giant Christmas tree, a big smile plastered on his face. Today was Christmas, and Tommy should be here any second.

Sapnap watches the ghost smile up at the tree, and for the first time since Tommy was exiled, the Texan feels truly guilty. At first it had been kinda funny, but when Ghostbur had gotten high and told him how terrible it was watching the teen deteriorate before his very eyes, Sapnap felt doubt and guilt take root from then on.

He was glad that Dream was allowing this. Maybe, if Sapnap got on his good side, he could be able to convince his friend to let Tommy have more visitation hours.

Sometimes Sapnap wonders if his best friend could see the way he is hurting Tommy. And if he could see it, then why didn’t he do _anything_ about it? 

Sapnap didn’t want to think that Dream was so cruel as to purposefully break a sixteen year old. 

He hopes Dream’s just painfully ignorant.

“When’s Tommy coming,” Dream asks the ghost.

Wilbur smiles brightly, and turns to the SMP leader.

“Should be soon. He’s coming through the Nether Hub,” Wilbur says.

 _Sweet, sweet Wilbur,_ Sapnap thinks sorrowfully, _Dutifully devoted to a teen who was losing his mind, just as Tommy had been devoted to alive Wilbur._

It would have been funny if it wasn’t so fucking depressing.

Dream hums and turns to go talk to someone else. Wilbur glances back up to the tree, relief present on his face.

“Who made this,” the ghost asked to no one in particular.

“I helped,” a small voice said.

Tubbo stands awkwardly in front of Wilbur, wary brown eyes surveying the scenery. Sapnap frowns, now seeing the how the role of President has affected the sixteen year old. He looks perpetually nervous, brown eyes always gazing up the world sadly.

“It’s very lovely, Tubbo,” the ghost says kindly.

“Tommy’s... he’s coming?” the brunet asks, voice tight with worry.

“Yeah, it’s his one break day,” Wilbur says, “He can’t wait to see everyone.”

Tubbo’s expression is unreadable to Sapnap, but the man cringes at the sheer awkwardness of the situation.

“Speaking of which, where is Tommy?” Sapnap pipes up, “Shouldn’t he be here by now?”

Ghostbur just smiles.

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon...”

He’s cut off by the crackle of their communicators. Everyone looks to each other, confused.

“Hey...”

It is Tommy’s voice, tired but oddly passionate in the way he talks. Sapnap glances to the ghost, who looks as vexed as everyone else.

“Listen, I’m sorry,” Tommy tells them, “I... I never wanted any of this to happen. I just wanted my discs back... though, I’m sorry for how much pain that caused everyone.”

There’s a sigh and Sapnap is filled with the familiar feeling of dread.

“Toby...”

The President looks to his comm, eyes wide with alarm.

“I am deeply sorry, Toby. For all the pain I caused you... You’ve always been my best friend.”

A quiet laugh crackles through the static.

“I love you, Toby. And, I love you too, Wilby.”

Sapnap would have laughed at the nickname if the feeling of doom hadn’t been crushing his windpipe and causing all the hairs on the back of his neck to stand in fear.

“I’ll see you soon, Wil.”

There’s a horrifying pause.

“Fuck you, Dream,” Tommy says harshly, catching everyone off guard, “I don’t care if you don’t believe me when I say this, but... I hate you. I hate you with every fiber of my fucking being and I will **never** forgive you for the shit you’ve done.”

Tommy’s cold laugh echos through the cold winter air.

“See you in hell.”

The communicators go silent and Sapnap stares holes into Dream’s smiley mask. His best friend is frozen in place, trapped by the words no one ever wanted to hear. Faintly, Sapnap hears Wilbur’s panicked shouting and Tubbo’s hyperventilating but all he can think about is Tommy.

Then, it happened.

_TommyInnit tried to swim in lava while trying to escape TommyInnit._

The Christmas square erupts into chaos.

•••

There is no way to describe the way the lava burned Tommy with cheap words. Thinking is an impossibility now, so he doesn’t think.

He _feels_.

The blond lets the pain blind him. The heat builds until his limbs are numb and he doesn’t know anything but pain.

His soul is made from pain that weaves it’s way into every part of him. In that moment, Tommy knew it would forever be a part of him, even when he died.

His last thoughts are about Toby. He wonders if the President will forgive him? Tommy had forgiven the brunet a long time ago, finally at peace with the betrayal that haunted his nightmares.

Tommy sinks into the fiery lava and the voices finally stop talking. There’s no more;

_Tommy, let’s be the bad guys_

or,

_Tommy, shut up._

There’s just silence.

He smiles.

•••

Ghostbur cries as he holds his youngest brother in his arms for the first time in what’s felt like ages. He’s wanted to hold his little brother ever since Alivebur had blown L’Manburg up.

He just didn’t want it to be under these circumstances.

GhostInnit laughs gently, hugging back but not nearly as aggressively.

Ghostbur pulls away to look at the former exile in the eyes.

Whereas Ghostbur is a transparent grey, GhostInnit is a transparent blue. He has permanent tear tracks on his translucent cheeks that shine whenever he’s under any kind of light. His eyes are sad, but the ghost smiles much more than post-exile Tommy ever did.

“You’re being so dramatic, Wilby,” GhostInnit tells him.

Ghostbur wants to tell him to stop talking, that it’s not stupid and that he should be taking this more seriously. He is furious with his younger brother’s brashness.

But, he says none of those things. 

Because Tommy is by his side once more and Wilbur is never letting him go again.

“I’m glad you’re here, Toms,” he breathes, “I’m so glad I can hold you again.”

The young ghost laughs loudly.

Ghostbur is relieved that the crowd of mourners at the funeral can’t hear or see them right now.

“They never found your body, Toms,” Ghostbur murmurs softly, pulling his back into his arms.

GhostInnit falls back into his embrace without a protest.

“I didn’t want them to.”

•••

Tubbo promises to give Dream all of his canon deaths.

He swears it on Tommy’s gravestone.

**Author's Note:**

> i listened to the entirety of Montgomery Ricky album while writing this lol
> 
> have a good day and drink some water!
> 
> remember, you’re loved <3


End file.
